THE MASONS 221 



Now, though the Pelopaeus is the most 

 gentle of creatures to those she knows, 

 even she could not be expected to submit 

 without preparation to being handled by a 

 fearful great monster that seemed about to 

 destroy her. The new Pelopaeus, fright- 

 ened out of her wits, no doubt, instantly 

 took the defensive; all the worst attri- 

 butes of a wasp's nature came to the front. 

 She, an untamed Pelopaeus, had been 

 treated like a tame one, but she did not act 

 in the least like a tame one, and as the 

 friendly hand closed over her irate person 

 — it may be well to draw a curtain over 

 what followed. 



Pelopaeus cementarius, though very ^ g- 

 common, is not the only common mud- V 

 dauber. There is a brilliant blue crea- 

 ture, Pelopaeus ceruleus, not quite so 

 slender and elegant in form as cemen- 

 tarius, but of such rich colouring that she 

 makes up in brilliancy what she lacks in 

 form. Her body, legs, and head are a deep 



